Review of the Day: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games: Book One
By Suzanne Collins
Scholastic, Inc.
$17.99
ISBN: 978-0439023481
Ages 12 and up
October 1, 2008

Clearly Gregor was merely the prelude. Suzanne Collins, you’ve been holding out on us, missy. As an author we were accustomed to your fun adventures involving a boy, his sister, and a world beneath our world. I think it’s fair to say that we weren’t really expecting something like The Hunger Games. At least I wasn’t. But reading it gave me a horribly familiar feeling. There is a certain strain of book that can hypnotize you into believing that you are in another time and place roughly 2.3 seconds after you put that book down. Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer could convince me that there were simply not enough canned goods in my home. And The Hunger Games? Well as I walked down the street I was under the disctinc impression that there were hidden cameras everywhere, charting my progress home. Collins has written a book that is exciting, poignant, thoughtful, and breathtaking by turns. It ascends to the highest forms of the science fiction genre and will create all new fans for the writer. One of the best books of the 2008 year.

Life in District 12 isn’t easy for Katniss and her family. Ever since her father died the girl has spent her time saving her mother and little sister Prim from starvation by hunting on forbidden land. But worst of all is reaping day. Once a year the government chooses two children from each of the twelve districts to compete against one another in a live and televised reality show. Twenty-four kids and teens enter, and only one survives. When Prim’s name is called, Katniss exchanges herself without hesitation to compete alongside the baker’s boy Peeta. To survive in this game you need to win the heart of your audience, and so District 12’s trainers come up with a plan. Why not make it as if Peeta and Katniss were in love with one another? But in a game where only one person can live, Katniss will have to use all her brains, wits, and instincts to determine who to trust and how to outwit the game’s creators.

I described the plot of this book to my husband, particularly the part where Katniss and Peeta fake being in love to gain the audience’s approval and the very first thing he said was, “Oh! That’s the plot of They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?" Then I mentioned that it took place in the future and that government leaders set up teenagers to fight one another to the death and he said, "Battle Royale”. So sure, there are parts of this plot that have been done before. You could say it’s The Game meets Spartacus with some Survivor thrown in for spice. But that’s not what makes a book good or bad, is it? Some of the greatest works of literature out there, regardless of the readerships’ age, comes about when an author takes overdone or familiar themes and then makes them entirely new through the brilliance of their own writing. Harry Potter wouldn’t have been any great shakes if it weren’t for Rowling’s storytelling. Similarly, Collins takes ideas that have certainly seen the light of day before and concocts an amazingly addictive text. About the time you get to the fifth chapter that ends with a sentence that forces you to read on, you’re scratching your head wondering how the heck she DOES that.

Your story often rests on the shoulders of the protagonist. Is this a believable character? Do you root for him or her? Because basically it is a very hard thing to create a “good” person on the page that your reader is going to fall in love with. Because we readers know that we are flawed, we are often inclined to side with the similarly flawed people we meet between a book’s covers. Katniss, on the other hand, is so good in so many ways. She sacrifices herself for her sister. She tries to save people in the game. But there’s almost a jock mentality to her too. Katniss can figure out the puzzles and problems in the game, but when it comes to emotional complexity she’s sometimes up a tree. Most remarkable to me was the fact that Katniss could walk around, oblivious to romance, and not bug me. Seriously, nothing gets under my skin faster than heroines who can’t see that their fellow fellas are jonesing for them. You just want to bonk the ladies upside the head with a brick or something. The different here is maybe the fact that since Katniss knows that Peeta has to play a part, she uses that excuse (however unconsciously) to justify his seeming affection for her. Thems smart writing.

Oh! And did I mention the dialogue at all? The humor? Yep, there’s humor. We’re talking about a story where adolescents hunger for blood, and Katniss is getting in lines about her trainers like, “And then, because it’s Effie and she’s apparently required by law to say something awful…” Good stuff. The words pop off the page. And then there’s the fact that we’re dealing with a dystopian novel where the author has somehow managed to create a believable future. No faux slang here, or casual references to extinct dolphins. There are some animals that were scientifically altered, but you can’t have a future without a couple cool details like that, right?

In general, this book throws a big fat wrench into the boy book/girl book view of child/teen literature. People love to characterize books by gender. It stars a boy? Boy book. A girl? Girl book. Now take a long lengthy look at the first book in the Hunger Games Trilogy. It stars a girl… and a boy too. There’s a lot of hunting, fighting, and survival… and a lot of romance, kisses, and cool outfits. There’s strategy, the world’s most fabulous fashion designer, weapons and a girl who knows how to fight. This is not a book that quietly slots into our preconceived stereotypes. And you know what happens to books that span genders? They sell very well indeed. That is, if you can get both boys and girls to read them.

The age range? Well, for most of this story I would have said ten and up. I mean, yeah the basic premise is that a lot of teenagers go around killing one another, and sure there’s some romance to deal with, but none of it really seems inappropriate… until a final death scene appears in the book. I won’t give any details, but suffice it to say it is gruesome. There are definite horror elements to it as well, so with that in mind I am upping my recommendation to 12 and up. I’m sure that there are 10-year-olds out there who’ve seen much worse stuff on cable, just as there are 12-year-olds who’ll freak out ten pages in. Still, I’m more comfortable recommending it for the older kids rather than the younger. You’ll see why.

It occurs to me that there has never been a quintessential futuristic gladiator book for kids. That is undoubtedly the roughest term you can give this book. Now I’m not a person who cries easily when she reads something, particularly something for kids. Yet as I was taking a train to Long Island I found myself tearing up over significant parts of this story. It’s good. And it’s so ridiculous that a work of science fiction like this could even be so good. You think of futuristic arena tales and your mind instantly sinks to the lowest common denominator. What Collins has done here is set up a series that will sink its teeth into readers. The future of this book will go one of two ways. Either it will remain an unappreciated cult classic for years to come or it will be fully appreciated right from the start and lauded. My money lies with the latter. A contender in its own right.

On shelves October 1st.
Notes on the Cover: I’ve heard some grumbles here and there about this one, but I don’t mind it particularly myself. It has a kind of stark futuristic bent on the one hand, and the combination of a beautiful circular image reeking of potential menace on the other. Black and gold? Classy colors. It doesn’t give much of an indication of how much fun the book is to read, granted. And maybe the lack of people on the cover will turn away potential readers. We’ll see. My money is that they change the cover for the paperback but retain the gold circular pin in some way.

Elizabeth Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

I agree: The Hunger Games ranks right up there with some of my favorite books. It was thrilling to the end, and already I’m begging for the next (even though The Hunger Games didn’t even officialy come out yet!) So, if you have any sense at all, you’ll read this book–it’s that good. I enjoyed how the characters managed to cheat the system in a setting where brutality and murder were pushed for entertainment. And by the way, does anyone know if there are any tentative release dates for the sequels?

i just read a little portion at the school library today and i’m already hooked. i couldn’t stop thinking about it so i decided to look for reviews on the internet to see if anyone else had discovered it and loved it as well. the bits of romance, action and suspense were well balanced from what i could see. The main character’s good points are shown but not so glaringly obvious as to make one sick. some mystery so far and much suspense. The idea of the story reminds me of the short story, “The Lottery” with the familiar creepy feeling it gives off and the fascination that fixes a reader to his/her chair. i’m already drooling for the sequel. hopefully, this book will take a very long time to read.

The Hunger Games was a great book. I loved every minute of it. The worst part of the book was how short it was, I didn’t want it to end! I heard that the sequel won’t be out until September, i’m devastated!

That was the best book i ever read even better than Harry Potter ! I would be sooooo happy if they made a movie for it i would go to the premier! I can’t believe it’s going to be another year before the next book. 🙁 it was like the tri wizard cup from harry potter 4 without the magic

omg i loved this book one of the best
i cant wait for the sequil its so far off dang
also i boutgh my copy of the hunger games 9-22-08
on the book it says it was published 9-14-08
it would be cool if they could make this a movie a little hard but cool

I read part of this book for the Mock Newberies at my middle school. It’s like the Newbery award winning books, and the kids at school decide. The book is so good, but really gruesome. I luv chapter 11, especially how Katniss longs for the beautiful bow so badly. I totally feel for her.

Since no one made a recap, I will write one the best way I can. It starts as Katniss Everdeen, a 16 year old living in Panem, which is a sort of twisted country where 12 districts work solely for making sure that the people who live in the Capitol, which is like the capital of Panem, have luxury food, items, etc.
Katniss wakes up on reaping day, which is a day where everyone in her district, District 12, gather in the square for the picking of the tributes.
The tributes are two young teens, ranging from ages 12 to 18 years old. They are sort of donated to the Capitol, so they can play in a brutal survival game where the 24 tributes try to kill each other, or get killed by nature.
These are called the Hunger Games.
Katniss has a little sister, Primrose, called Prim, who is twelve. This is her first reaping, and she’s very afraid.
Katniss needs to feed a family of three, her mother, her, and Prim. She goes hunting in the woods, which is illegal, but she and Gale, her hunting partner who feeds a family of 5, go almost every day. It’s like the middle of summer, and so there is plenty of fish, greens, and strawberries.
After hunting, they go to an illegal black market called the Hob where they sell some of their catch, included half the fish & half the greens for paraffin and money.They also go to the mayor’s house to sell the strawberries, because he has a particular fondness for them.
They split the remaining food and money, and go home.
At home, Katniss washes the sweat and dirt of herself and dresses in a pretty blue dress for the reaping. Her hair is braided, and she wears nice shoes. The fish and greens are bubbling in a stew for supper, and some strawberries and baker’s bread, not the coarse bread that they normally eat, is on the table for supper too.
At the square, the 12 through 18 year olds are put in roped areas. A weird, hyper lady named Effie Trinket comes up, and pulls out a slip of paper from one of the two glass balls on a table, one for girls and one for boys. Prim, being 12, has only been entered once in the Hunger Games, because of requirement. Katniss, being sixteen, has been entered 5 times because she has to, and some more times for tesserae, which is a small amound of oil and grain for a person that you can receive if your name is entered extra times.
As Effie Trinket pulls out the slip of paper, she reads the name. Out of the thousands of papers there, she picks one and reads the name out loud. Primrose Everdeen. Katniss cannot bear for her little 12 year old sister to be the girl tribute, and volunteers herself instead. The entire district is awed, and they show their respect for her by touching three fingers to their mouths.
The boy tribute is a baker’s son named Peeta Mellark.
More later.

It was a fantastic read, I thought… I was captivated by Collins’ other series, The Underland Chronicles (which has its trophy of my favorite books of all time), and I had a hard time picking which I liked more, which is a really big thing to say after having been a member of the online TUC community for a year now.

Collins did a fantastic job, and I though that first person present tense was a very unusual, yet perfect pick. It was amazing.

i used to be a regular reader of books of this genre, but after reading twilight fell into more of the love story and vampire type books. after reading the hunger games i love this genre again and am even happier because there is love in it. when i found out the sequal wasnt out yet i was upset, when i found out it wasnt coming out for a year i was destroyed! this book has got me locked into its grasp and is not letting go! i want to read it 40 times over, but i unfortuanently had to give it back to my friend (should have stolen it!) i think this book would be a great movie to watch (to hold me over until catching fire) but it could also ruin it, please please please Suzanne keep writing! i want the sequal!!!! this book will be the new Twilight/Harry Potter upsession for sure!!!

This is one of the best books I have ever read. We started reading it in Pssa Prep (a school class). It is so adictive I want to just keep reading it. You can’t put it down.We are only at the part where Katniss finds out that Peeta is running around with the career tributes killing people.I totally recommend it.

P.S. I hope they make a movie and can’t wait for next book in the series.

I am really glad that I read this book. I was kind of down because the Twilight series was okay, but left a lot to be desired (It lacked great storytelling and a lead character you would really root for) so when someone recommended The Hunger Games, I gave it a whirl. Wow, I bought the book at a little past 7pm and finished it at 8am the next day (with breaks to drive home, have dinner and catch some sleep). It is amazing…Ms. Collins is a genius with language, pacing and character development. I’m bummed out that Book 2 will come out next year, but I am happily re-reading Book 1 again.

The Hunger Games is my favorite book, and that’s pretty significant since I fell so in love with Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series (I love you Edward) that I’ve reread them countless times and I can’t remember reading any other books since I finished reading them at the end of summer. (well, I did like The Host, which is another marvelous creation of Stephanie Meyer and you have to read it even though The Hunger Games completely blew it out of the water, sorry Stephanie, it will help bridge the gap between The Hunger Games and Catching Fire). For anyone who hasn’t read shapter 25 yet, AVERT YOUR EYES!!!!!!
I can’t get over the mutated wolf thing though. How could they take Rue’s body and transform her into a vicious, bloodthersty animal!?!?!?! I don’t give a crap about Glimmer, but Rue? I mean, come on! It’s just not right! I am thankful to Collins for helping me get over Twilight….and Edward (love him, sigh). Now I can go back to school and get all of my friends going through Twilight withdrawal to transfer their obsession to The Hunger Games! yay! (though Peyton might need therapy to get over…….Edward(my drug). So for all of you Twilight finatics out there who find yourseves thinking of Edward every second and need to move on with your lives, get some help for yourself and read The Hunger games. (and stay away from Gale, he’s mine!)

I read the book in a day and a half. LOVED IT. A real book with edge. Now need to figure out if it too much for an ES library. I know my 6th graders would love it, but don’t want a 4th grader to pickit up.

Amazing. I finished it in less than a day, and then threw the book to the ground and had a silent spaz at the ((if you haven’t finished it, stop)) cliffhanger. I mean, poor Peeta!! But we all love Gale!!! And what happens to the government? And what do her friends and family think of the games? How does Gale feel about it? Has the baker looked after Prim? You don’t know!!! Or maybe, has the baker managed to finally make Katniss’s mother fall in love with him? Making Peeta and Katniss’s romance impossible anyway? What did they think of it? And what of Prim? After my spaz, I went back to the first page, and devoured it again. Now, I’m reading it for the third time, but I’m able to get away from it. Haha. So amazing. Better than the Twilight series, and equal to The Host in my opinion. It’s the only book that I’ve read that can pull off present tense. The story line is original, and kept me hooked. I can’t wait for the next book, and I really hope they make a movie.

Read it if you haven’t already! I guarantee you will like it. It has so many different sides to it, exploring romance, for us romance lovers, and survival and fighting for us adventure lovers, and moral issues and philosophical points, for us deep thinkers and a mixture of all this and more for those of us who like a balanced story.

Suzanne Collins is my fave author, and i have been waiting since The Underland Chronicles for next big hit. The Hunger Games has truly captured my heart. And most of all I think that it will live on.
Also much better book than stupid vampire book, Twilight.

My freind gave me this book for Christmas (even though its not Christmas yet) I had never heaqrd of the book, and after i read the first page, I was hooked. I read it in 4 hours. Now I’m forcing my sister to read it. And I’ve already shown it to 2 friends. The Hunger Games is an amzaing book!
I read alot of these reviews, and I’m really interested in reading this other series Suzanne Collins wrote: The Underworld wars or something. My sister was reading that series.
But seriously. It almost feels like they’re torturing me. Keeping the sequel until NEXT year? torture i tell you!!!

I discovered The Hunger Games on Amazon.com; just browsing and out of the blue this work of art finds me. I was irrevocably hooked from the excerpt. This book rose to become one of my all time favorites only halfway through. That is saying a lot since i generally dislike sci fi, with a few exceptions. It seems to me like a combination of The Giver and Ender’s Game, which is most definitely not a bad thing. I am telling all my literate friends to read it. I can not wait to read the next one! Kudos to Suzanne Collins!

wow i found the book amazing it was one of my first Suzanne Collins books and i was majorly impressed! I found the plot amazing and detailed! I loved all the chacters and twist and turns within the book! I cannot wait for the new book to come out September 2009 whichi s right around my birthday!

wow i found the book amazing it was one of my first Suzanne Collins books and i was majorly impressed! I found the plot amazing and detailed! I loved all the chacters and twist and turns within the book! I cannot wait for the new book to come out September 2009 whichi s right around my birthday!

The Hunger Games is an amazing book. I read it in 6 hours and re-read it an hour later. I was up after I finished it and kept thinking about the games themself and what happens after Peeta and Katniss step off the train. This book has become one of my favorits and now its only 8 months untill the Catching Fire comesw out so we can make it. THIS BOOK ROCKS!

This book is so amazing! i love peeta but i also love gale. I almost died at tha end and then again when i learned i have to wait until september 2009. . . it is absolutly amazing! Read it now if you haven’t already.

This book was amazing. I got it for Christmas and didnt think mush of it. I decided to read it when i got really bored and i couldnt put it down. It kept you guessing till the end, and her use of flashbacks to further the story was great. Not many authors can tell a story in present tense. I cant wait for the sequal. O, and for anyone who thinks that 1 years is too long, The Eragon books come out in about 3 year intervals. Book 2 came out 2005, and book 3 just came out a few months ago.

This book was fabulous. I was feeling a little sketchy at first because I had just finished the Twilight Series for the third time and I just couldn’t find any books better than that, but then my friend told me about The Hunger Games. I couldn’t put it down. The cliffhanger at the end has me begging for more. And Gale and Peeta? I was and still am rooting for Gale because I loved him from when he is first mentioned in the book. The characters are amazing and I was completely absorbed in this book. I’m not sure how patient I can be until the second book of the series comes out. Even with all the unanswered questions I have, I love, love, love this book and hope the answers will come in the books to follow. I highly recommend it.

First off, after Twilight, I am really thrilled to see people excited about this book. Don’t get me wrong. I love Twilight, but I feel the same way about it as I feel about donuts. Love them to death, but no nutritional value.

This being said, I cannot help but wonder what it was about this book that people loved. I sincerely hope that people don’t like the book because of the romance between Peeta/Katness, Katness/Gale or for the suspenseful plot.

It is my belief that Collins meant far more by this book then to give us another exciting suspense novel. It was a test of us as readers.
Is it not HIGHLY IRONIC how we are disgusted by the Capitol people’s fascination with the games, while at the same time we too are captivated by the games Collins has woven? and so ask yourselves. Do you love this book just because of the romance. or because you find the deadly Hunger Games some how alluring?? or do you love it because Collins forces us to address our own fascination with these horrors.

What I find so interesting is that Katniss and Peeta participate in the horrible games yet Collins keeps our sympathies with them. Yes, the whole distopia/action adventure things have been done before, but not in this combination and not for this audience. It seems that Collins couldn’t quite decide what this novel was about. Is it distopian (like 1984), romance (like Twilight), or something else entirely. Maybe it can be both a good story and something that makes us think at the same time. I detest novels, like Lord of Flies, that we are forced to read in school. It’s not that I am ignorant to the meaning behind these stories, but that I don’t get the point in being told that human beings are essentially evil or that our society is ultimately doomed or whatever else these authors believe. Like anyone else, I find the idea of glorifying or finding entertainment value in murder very disturbing. The Hunger Games really made me think, but at the same time I enjoyed reading it.

here is the sinopsis from barnes&
Synopsis
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

great book. loved all of the deep emotions put into this book and while im not one for a romantic novel i have to say it wasnt horrible. im also a sucker for the medieval spin (thats why i love the rangers apprentice series) so the bow and arrows is a real nice touch. waiting for the next book! i heard it comes out in september
P.S alot of people say that this book should become a movie but i disagree. to many movies ruin the atmosphere because now you cant picture your own characters and background. and when have you ever seen a movie that was half as good as the book. all im sayin

This book is one of my all time favorites!!! I could not put it down and even skipped a couple of meals just so that I could finish it. I read it in three hours and I have read it four times since!!! It is amazing!!!!

I absolutely loved The Hunger Games! And I can’t wait for the sequel. Today my friend told my that the next one is coming out in September and I was like,”NOOO WAAAYYY!!!!” And im sooo happy that there is going to be another one!

I just finished reading this book, and I’m in love. This book contained every aspect I love, all rolled into one- non-stop action, self-sacrfice, romance, friendships, trials and tribulation, and making hard choices. But most of all, it makes you question yourself and was thought provoking- in my opinion, the ultimate sign of a good book.

wow. this book was amazing i loved it i read it in two days and ,im sad that i finished it i cant wait til the next one comes out!!! and by the way im 12 and i certainly didnt freak out or cry this book was amazing

In regards to the cover, it is the only reason I picked the book up to read. A young lady was purchasing it, and the cover caught my eye. She told me S. Meyer had recommended it on her website, and at that point, I still snickered when girls scoffed at my not having read the Twilight series. I had no idea picking The Hunger Games up that it would be the first in a series, and when I read the last page that said “End of Book 1” I was kind of upset. I wanted to know the ending. Right then! In retrospect, I am eternally grateful I will get to read more in the future. Truly a magnificent read, though I will admit it is sometimes hard to pitch the premise to parents shopping for their teens. I have to convince them to read it themselves first.

In the shop i didnt think to look at this book untill someone pointed out to me that stephanie meyer recommended it. I started the book that day at 7pm and didnt stop reading untill i finished the book. I love it! Im amazed i think its better than the twilight series which i read four times in a row and even read the unfinished midnight sun on her website (I reccomend looking it up if you havnt read it because I dont think Stephanie Meyer will finish it.). when i read that the book is the first of three i searched the computer for information on the next book and came accross this site (im bookmarking the page when ive done typing =p)and have just found out i have to wait till september =( (but im kind of glad… my birthday is in september). i loved the book because it made me laugh (the things katniss says about Effie and Haymitch) and i felt really sad when SPOILER *Rue dies. (I think she should have survived longer*. I am about to search google for more infomation on catching fire (I cant wait) so i hope you found my comment helpfull. Might post later, closer to september. Cya!

oh my goodness i absolutley love this book!!!!i got it for my birthday after it came out and was immediatley addicted!!!and trust me, i’ve read dozens of different genres, but this is by far my favorite =] i love this book to death, and i’m devasted by how far away the relese date for Catching Fire-the sequel is!! but sept. 1st, 2009, i’ll be there!! yay!!

I would just like to add: There is so much more that makes a great book than romance! I am getting sick of all the Twilight fans. It’s a good, light, shallow read and it may have had a new twist on vampires, but does it contain universal ideas besides the simplistic feeling of love? Not a chance. Twilight doesn’t even have a main character I can identify with. Hunger Games has the characteristics of a classic-even if it is children’s literature. Reminds me of 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 and The Giver. One of the better books I have read.

i loved this book i read it 3 times and i still love it i cant wait for the sequel i recommended it to all my friends and got like 4 to read it and they love it and i gave it to the librarian to check it out she loved it lol 😉

Oh My god! its such a good book! My friend recommended it so I purchased it. It is fantastic, the way Suzane Collins mixes romance with action and horror is Amazing! I’m looking forward to Catching Fire, the sequel, It’s out in September 29th (2009) am I right? Great book toatly better than the Host (by Stephenie meyer) though I can’t say it beat Twilight. I read that my whole summer. It resurected my ability to read like a maniac. I recomend The Hunger Games people who love good books! The day Catching Fire comes out i will awake out side a Chapters store! Hope to see you there too!

It may become a movie!!! I was looking at another site and followed a link and it said someone bought the rights to make a movie- il copy and paste it here:

***According to The Hollywood Reporter Lionsgate has picked up worldwide distribution rights!

Nina Jacobson and Color Force have recently acquired the movie rights to a futuristic young adult novel, Hunger Games, written by Suzanne Collins! The first book came out last year and achieved critical acclaim about an “America where subjugated districts must pay tribute in the form of a boy and a girl who are forced to participate in a televised battle to the death.” Vicious! Anyone see a little film called Battle Royale? Sounds familiar, huh?

According to the report, it’s the success of Twilight that has studio execs buzzing over the prospect of Collin’s novel becoming the new fantasy, pop-culture sensation since Stephanie Meyer raved about the book on her blog. And who can blame them? Just think, Robert Pattinson in space? Without gravity that bouffant will reach glorious, beautiful, unknown heights…***

I also checked my favourite movie website IMDB and there is a page for thehungergames although there is no information for it except that someone has bought rights for 2011. I really hope they make into a movie but i cant help but feel scared- what if they ruin it like eragon? Anyway i cant wait for september and 2011!
g2g now cya!

Man I just loved this book i mean ive never liked stories with love in them before but this one has action (for guys) and love (for girls). It’s an all around great book. Great setup. And Suzanne Collins is my favorite author and is probably the brightest one too. I hope Peeta and her get together he would be devastated

I think the Hunger Games is absolutely AMAZING. I’ve read Twilight and it used to be my obsession, but since i’ve read The Hunger Games, i’ve realised that Twilight isn’t the best book ever. I can’t wait for Catching Fire to come out!!! It is the best trilogy i’ve read so far. I can’t wait to read more about Katniss and Peeta and everyone from district twelve! Thank god for Suzanne Collins!

I hope they get together too! How could Katniss turn him down after everything they’ve been through?! If they don’t get together i think i may scream(okay, i won’t actually, but it’d be sad if they didn’t). I wonder what Gale will think of all that went on during the games? And i really want to read about everyone’s reaction in district twelve about them winning! Damn,i wish i could read Catching Fire before September! I’ve to wait for AGES!

I recently read the Twilight series and I was looking for a great series to fill the void afterward. Then Hunger Games was exactly what I needed and a better read even! I can’t wait for Catching Fire! What a cliffhanger ending… the humanity!

I just recently finished reading the Hunger Games book. And now I don’t know if I can wait until September for the sequel to come out! I really want to know what happens between Katniss and Peeta(I, personally, think they should be together, and might cry if they aren’t). I would recommend this book to everyone!! I am so excited for Catching Fire!!!

I absolutely loved this book, it was to say the least incredibly compelling. My boyfriend thinks i’m ridiculous one, because I ignored him to read it and two, because I actually awoke from sleep and asked him what his skill level score was! It became so real, and I was entirely wrapped up in the world of Katniss Everdeen.

I think it’s a good book. I read it in 1 hour, I can’t wait for catching fire to come out. What do you think the 3rd book is going to be called? Depending on what the other two books are like, I think it will rate up with other great series like Eragon and Twilight. I think that Katniss will hook up with Peeta, after all they’ve been through, I think the shared experience bond will make them hook up. I think the fighting and archery idea is cool, along with the muttations. Can’t wait for the next one to come out.

The Hunger Games is an amazing book. It is an impeccable blend of romance, action, tragedy, drama, and suspense. I could not put it down for a second. I liked Twilight, but it does not even compare. GO HUNGER GAMES!!!

I really loved this book, I was really just awed by the writing style and how it just captured me… I feel like I’m the only guy who likes this book lol. Regardless I can’t wait until Catching Fire.

I also read Eragon and have a tough time comparing these books they are probably equal to me and are to different to compare really. Why can’t book 4 just come out?!?!

I’m not so sure about the movie… Because remember we were in her head in the book and if they create a movie, the only way to mirror this effect would be a voice over which im very skeptical about AND THE ERAGON MOVIE SUCKED!

I’ve read both books the first and second. the second I read in one day to night and that was like 400 and odd pages. anyway,I need to knon when the next book will be out and what it’s called so please post is you know, please

Hunger Games was such a great read. I couldnt wait for Catching Fire to come out..(a year later). And now that Ive finished Catching Fire… I’m eagerly awaiting any news about the third book. Catching Fire was just as good, if not better, than Hunger Games. I can’t wait to see how this trilogy is going to come to a close.

The Hunger Games was on of the best books that I have ever read. I’m a definite sucker for action and romance, and what did it have action and romance. So it was definitely my kind of book but Suzanne Collins also made it so interesting in every way that she could. I do agree though that the book was WAY too short. I mean it was close to 400 pages but really, the book was so good that it just kept you going. And although about 400 pages is a lot, with a book as good as The Hunger Games, it definitely seemed like so little. I never wanted the book to end, ever!!!!

hey, I’m trying to make THG my school’s newest ubseccion, but I’m having a hard time getting people to read it. does anybody have any sneaky tricks to get people(mainly girls)to read it. anything would be helpfull.

If they like Twilight, play up the love triangle aspect. If you want to convince people that girls will like it, play up the fact that it contains a strong female character who uses her wits and intelligence to outsmart her own government. Then dare them not to cry at least once while reading it.

This was the BEST book I have ever read!!! The book had a mixture of adventure, romance, survival, and packed with action! It is totally a cliff-hanger! When I first heard of it coming out, I was skeptical. But then ALL my friends were recomending it, my teachers, and my english teacher too! Hunger Games was the best book ever!!!

wow. that was the best book i have ever read in my entire life. And im VERY picky about books. There are few books that even get my attention at all. If I finished it and liked it, than it is the best book in the world. But i didnt like it.I LOVED it. i read the 2nd book. when the third coming??? come on book! lets go!

I have read the first 2 books and they were amazing!!! I heard that they are coming out with a movie but im not sure. If they do then that will be great and if they dont then the books are still awesome!!!!

The third book is called the survivors. I think. Well thats what i heard anyway. i hope it can top the first and second books. Since the last were so ecxiting i cant wait to see what twists and turns Suzanne Collins throws into this book. I cant wait till it comes out so i have an excuse to sit around the house instead of going to my little brothers sucky baseball games which they havent won any yet!!!

I’m so eager for the 3rd book. The day catching fire was released I bought it and read it the next day….. She is an unbelievable and genious writer. Does anybody know when the sequel on Catching fire is going to be released?

The title IS the victors. I am so excited :-D!!! Today I finished catching fire after getting it(as well as the hunger games) for christmas. At first I hated them, but after a while became hooked. It was horrible that they had to go back to the games again. As soon as I read it I ran around the house screaming. What happens to Cinna???? And Prim?????? AND DISTRICT 13 ??????? I can’t wait until august, so I will probably go loopy. Hurry up time!!!!

The book was thrilling and an exciting book. It got me grasping for more, each time. The ending of the second book, was harsh, brutal and beautifully written for it got me anticipating the next book. I’m excited. And the 3rd cover amazingly beautiful. I just hope that Peeta will someone survive.. I know I’ll definitely be gripping for more!

i think the hunger games is the best book I have ever read excellent idea! I was so attached to the book that when I finished it I started crying. i hope to see amovie on this book and would love to play Katniss Everdeen!!!!

does anyone know what the 3rd book is about???? will it be in peeta place??? maybe gale dies!!!!! but what happens to Cinna?? do the peacekeepers (or peacemakers, or whatever there called) use him as a warning of what might happen to others???!!!!?
please reply!!! (with comments)

Gale is going to die in Mockingjay. I mean, Katniss is going to have to chose between him and Peeta, she won’t pick until on of them is out of the way, and although Gale is a major character in the 2nd book, he is barely mentioned in book 1, so it is acceptable for him to die whereas Peeta can’t die since he’s too much of a major character. It would be like killing Ron from Harry Potter, or something. So Katniss will mourn him and then realize her true love for Peeta 🙁 I don’t know that for sure or anything, its just my prediction.

I can’t wait for the 3rd book!!!!! This book is amazing. It tops all of the other books i’ve read. I read both books in 5 days. I heard that the next one is coming out in august and i can’t wait. I am still rooting for Peeta and i hope that Katniss chooses him. He sounds so sweet and loving. I hope it can become a movie, that would be very interesting… I know that most movies aren’t as good as the books like the lightning thief for example, but i would still like to see how that would turn out.

Someone brought this book in as part of our book club. We were excited about it because it was different from our typical romance novels. I was NOT disappointed! I LOVED the book. I even got my husband to read it with me. Every night we would look forward to see if Peeta & Katniss would survive another hour. I had to take a mental break (of about 2 days) but then ran out and got book 2 which was just as good as book 1. Suzanne Collins has a great writing style. Her characters are charming even though they are, in the technical sense, killers. Strange combination, but it totally works. I’ve already reserved by copy of book 3 at B&N. Can’t wait!!!

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About A Fuse #8 Production

Features everything from librarian previews of upcoming children's books to news, reviews, and videos. If it has something to do with children's literature, it will rate a mention here.

Betsy Bird is the Youth Materials Specialist of New York Public Library. She's reviewed for The New York Times and Kirkus, writes articles for Horn Book and SLJ, and wrote the picture book Giant Dance Party. You can contact her at Fusenumber8@gmail.com or follow her on . . .